Space for Astro-Entertainment
The Apollo moon landings and development of orbiting space stations, provided a promising theme for creative exploration of filmic advertising scenarios about cosmonaut and astronaut antics.
‘Astro-entertainment’ saw the launch of many memorable commercials and still does to this day with the current global interest in Mars; the ‘Red Planet’, named after the Roman God of War.
1. SodaStream, Mars Water
Advertising Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, USA
Directed by filmmakers Bryan Buckley and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, the entertainingly topical 2020 Super Bowl commercial underscores SodaStream’s aim to eliminate 67 billion single-use plastic bottles by 2025.
Featuring a cameo appearance by the popular, bow-tied scientist Bill Nye, at the Chabot Space & Science Centre, the filmic scenario has a dramatic and highly watchable twist to the cosmic adventure.
2. Pepsi MAX, No Can Left Behind
Advertising Agency: AMV BBDO, London, UK
Directed by Taika Waititi, the epic Pepsi MAX commercial stars American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer, Paul Rudd, and movie actor, and musician, Michael Antony Peña.
Their sterling performances as bumbling astronauts are great fun to view.
3. Heineken, Spyfie
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Teaming up with UrtheCast, the Vancouver-based Canadian earth observation company, Heineken unveiled the world’s first ‘selfie’ taken from outer space to celebrate its partnership with the James Bond film franchise.
The ground-breaking ‘Open Your World’ brand activation, involved UrtheCast using an ultra-definition video camera, mounted on their International Space Station, 600km above earth, to produce the world’s first ‘selfie’ from space.
Over 200 guests, including competition winners, journalists, and celebrities, were invited by Heineken to the Hoover Dam in Nevada, to participate in the one-of-a-kind solar experience, of having their picture taken and posting it on social media.
4. McDonald’s Triple Cheeseburger, Gravicheese
Advertising Agency: TBWA, Paris, France
Directed by filmmaker Ben Gregor, ‘Gravicheese’ is a highly amusing parody of the film ‘Gravity’, a science fiction thriller staring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as American astronauts stranded in space.
The inspired scenario is superbly produced, cinematic, and a fun introduction to McDonald’s Triple Cheeseburger.
5. Heineken, Nature’s Wonder
Advertising Agency: TBWA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Filmmaker Bart Timmer directed this amusing take on the wonder of nature’s Northern Lights occurrences, known as Aurora Borealis. by revealing the’ true’ cause of the phenomenon.
6. Citroen C4 Picasso, Discover The World Inside
Advertising Agency: H, Paris, France
Directed by filmmaker Neo Sora, this inventive scenario of ‘The World Inside’ analogy, was a challenging undertaking that has been skilfully realised in a visually compelling dramatisation of the C4 Picasso’s inner-world of technological innovation.
The original soundtrack composition was created by Massive Music sound and music design studio, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
7. Kia Sorento, Space Babies
Advertising Agency: David&Goliath, Los Angeles U.S.A.
One of my favourite commercials by filmmaker Jake Scott, is this amusing story about a Dad who thinks up an imaginative answer to his son’s question about the origin of babies, that doesn’t completely convince the young sceptic.
The visually spectacular ‘space journey’ depiction from ‘Baby-Planetia’, is superbly crafted, and an amusing joy to watch, with a great performance by the enquiring young lad.